Cab-coupling



1. M. HOLLAND.

CAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILEDJAN- I0, 1919.

Patented June 17, 1919.

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UNITED STATES arena orrrcn.

CAR-COUPLING.

\ Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1919.

Application filed January 10, 1919. Serial No. 270,501.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn M. HOLLAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in car couplers and it is theprincipal object of the invention to provide a car coupler employing anovel form of locking pin whereby the knuckle of the coupler will besecurely held in its closed position, thus insuring positive connectionbetween the same and acoupler on the adjacent car of a train, but whichis so arranged as to permit the quick release of said knuckle withoutthe necessity of going between the several cars to be uncoupled and thesubsequent quick and positive connection of another coupler theretowithout going between the cars to be coupled.

Another and equally important object of the invention is to provide aninexpensive and simple form of locking pin adapted to cooperate with theknuckle of the coupler whereby to produce a highly elficient form ofconnecting device.

The invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements andcombinations of the parts of the coupler as well as in the details ofthe construction of the same, all of which will be more clearlydescribed in the following specification and then finally embodied inthe clauses of the claim which are appended to this specification andwhich form an essential part thereof.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich :1

Figure 1 is a top plan of the improved coupler as applied to the end ofa car,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same,

Fi 3 is a horizontal section therethrough showmg the knuckle in closedposition,

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the knuckle in open position ready tobe engaged by the knuckle of another coupler,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the coupler taken on the line 55 ofFig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a similar section taken on the line 77 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 8 is a detail in perspective of the improved form of knuckle,

Fig. 9 is a detail in perspective of one of the pins for preventingdisplacement of the locking pin, and

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the novel form of locking pin employed.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection withwhich like reference characters will designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views, 1'

represents the head of the coupler and 2 the draw bar to which the sameis attached, said draw bar of course having connection with the car 0.As will be noted, a portion of the face of the head 1 is curved, thusproviding an arm 3 on one side thereof serving in the capacity of aguide, while bearing arms L are formed on the opposite side of thecoupler and extend beyond the curved face thereof whereby to permit thepivoting of the knuckle 5 thereto. A horizontally disposed way 6 isformed in the coupler head and communicates with a vertical way 7therein, said horizontal way of course receiving a portion of theknuckle therein, as hereinafter more fully described.

The knuckle 5 has a reversely disposed hooked arm 7 formed on its innerend, portions of which are provided with inclined surfaces 8 for apurpose hereinafter described. This reversely disposed hooked arm 7 isreceivable in the horizontal way 6 formed in the coupler head and whenin its closed position has the lateral portion thereof arranged throughthe opening in the side of the coupler'as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

As means for locking the knuckle 5 in its closed position I employ aform of locking pin including spaced side members 9 having enlarged ends10 between which a roller 11 is mounted and receives a ring 12 thereon.A stay member 13 is positioned between the upper portions of the sidemembers and has the lower ends of a form of bail or connecting element14 engaged therewith, said element having its upper end looped bycoiling as at 15 to permit the engaging of the adjacent end of a crankshaft 16 therewith; the outer end of this crank shaft being arranged toone side of the car 0 to allow operation of the locking pin without thenecessity of going between the cars to be coupled or uncoupled. As willbe noted, the ring 12 is received on the upper side of the reverselydisposed hooked arm 7 when the knuckle 5 is in its open position, butwhen said knuckle is moved to its closed position then the ring 12together with the side members 9 of the pin will move therefrom and backbehind the same as shown in Fig. 3, thereby serving to retain theknuckle 5 in its closed positiOn for the desired period of time.Forwardly presented shoulder portions 4 of the bearing arms l are attimes abutted by the shouldered portions 8 of the arms 7 thereby bracingthe arms 7 as well as the knuckle 5 with respect to the head 1 and inaddition relieving strain on the pivot point of the head when thecoupling is subjected to a buffing action.

To prevent undue displacement of the locking pin with relation to theway 7 formed in the head 1, pins 17 are passed through openings formedin the upper portion of the coupler head 1 across the upper portion ofthe way 7 and are locked therein by passing cotter pins 18 or theirequivalents through those ends of the same projecting into the recesses19 in said head.

In operation to effect connection between several couplers constructedin accordance with my invention, the crank shaft 16 is actuated to causethe raising of the locking pin in the way 7 whereupon the knuckle 5 ispermitted to move outwardly with respect to the curved face of the head.At this time, the ring 12 will engage the upper side of the reverselydisposed hooked arm 7 and in consequence will be held in its inactiveposition. However, as the several couplers are brought together, theirrespective knuckles will be caused to swing inwardly, thus moving theinner ends thereof inwardly into the horizontal ways 6, thereby allowingthe ring 12 to be disengaged from the upper side of each of thereversely disposed hooked" arms 7 and hence, permitting the ringtogether with the sides of the locking pinto drop downwardly behind theadjacent portions of the hooked arms. When in this position, furtherrelative movement of the knuckles of the interconnected couplers will beprevented irrespective of the strain imparted thereto, the curved guides3 serving of course to prevent lateral displacement or relative movementbetween the interconnected knuckles as well as serving as means forguiding said knuckles into their interengaged positions during couplingof the same. To uncouple the couplers it is of course only necessary tooperate the shaft 16 to effect upward movement ofthe locking pin,whereupon movement of the knuckles 5 to their open positions will'bepermitted by reason of the pull or strain thereon. The knuckles ofcourse will remain in their open position while the rings 12 carried onthe locking pinswill engage the upper sides of the reversely disposedhooked arms ready for further operation.

Manifestly, the construction shown is ca- 7 pable of considerablemodification and such modification aslis within the scope of my claim, Iconsiderwithin the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

A car coupler including a head having the face thereof curved and aguide arm formed on one side thereof, bearing means on the opposite sideof said head, a knuckle pivoted in'said bearing means having a reverselydisposed hooked arm on its inner end movable into said head, a lockingpin including spaced side members carrying a roller between their lowerends, a ring loosely engaged between said side members and receivable onsaid roller,-said pin being adapted to engage on, the upper side of thereversely disposed hooked arm when inits open position but to engageforwardly of the same when in its closed position to lock the knuckleagainst movement with relation to the head. V

In testimony whereof, I afliX my. signature hereto. l JESSE M. HOLLAND;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, 1). c.

